A hospital’s lifespan is 30-50 years, depending on its specific destination. Then you set it on fire and build another, say those who know about medical infrastructure. The reasons are many – from spaces that become unsuitable to the new requirements, outdated technology, to the bacteria building up in the walls. How many hospitals have we built since 1989 and until today? Less than the fingers on one hand.

Mockery is the foundation

Romania can brag about a medical infrastructure worthy of the industrial revolution of the 19th century. We have 370 public hospitals, with 120.000 beds, most of them built in the first half of the 20th century. After almost 2 years of pandemic, we are exactly in the same spot. Too little has been added. To say it frankly, we built a hospital every 8 years, in the last 31. Moreover, we need to mention that 2 hospitals out of 10 will definitely collapse in the case of a major earthquake, of over 7 degrees on the Richter scale.

  • 370 public hospitals in Romania
  • (120.000 beds)
  • 4 built in the last 31 years
  • 2 out of 10 with a high seismic risk

(Source: INSO, ZF)

The Municipal Hospital in Fălticeni, the newest hospital built from scratch by the Romanian state, construction of which lasted 30 years, has been functional since August this year. The construction of the hospital which has 240 beds, 6 floors and top notch equipment costed 15 million euro.

The “Gomoiu” Children’s Hospital in Bucharest or the Regional Institute of Oncology in Iași are examples number 2 and 3. The Institute in Iași was initially an “emergency hospital” but changed its destination later. Its construction began in 1996. It costed 75 million euro and was open in 2012.

The Mioveni Hospital is the last example. Its construction lasted 30 months and costed 68 million euro. The hospital has 6 floors, 250 beds 6 departments and several specialized compartments. It also has an ER compartment, Intensive Care Unit and an operating theatre with 4 functional operating rooms at the same time. The ER can take 4 ambulances at the same time.

For the optimists we can also mention that, according to the National Institute of Public Health, another 189 annexed blocks have been built in the last 31 years, with no sensible improvement of the medical services.

All of the above represent the way a civilized state honors its citizens, its heroes. 6 years since Colectiv.

 

(an article by Edward Pastia)